A developer who goes the extra mile to protect heritage buildings and an individual and organization devoted to preserving Langley Township’s historic places are being recognized for their efforts.
Shawn Bouchard of Quadra Homes and HJ Developments, and Fred Pepin, president of the volunteer-run Langley Heritage Society, will be presented with special plaques by Township council on Monday, Feb. 27.
The presentation ties in with Heritage Week, Feb. 20 to 26, and the plaques acknowledge those who place properties of historic significance on the Township’s Community Heritage Register.
“This is the second year that the Township has made these presentations to recipients who have shown extraordinary commitment in the preservation, restoration, or adaptive re-use of Langley’s heritage,” said Township heritage planner Elaine Horricks.
The register is the Township’s official listing of properties that have heritage value and flags them for possible future protection. More than 50 sites are on the register which officially recognizes the heritage value of a site under the Local Government Act for planning purposes, while not putting a limit on the changes a heritage property owner may make to their heritage resource in the future.
There are many benefits to being on the register. Special provisions are provided to registered properties under the BC Building Code, alternative compliance options are made available under the BC Energy Efficiency Regulations, and exemption is available from certain requirements in the Homeowner Protection Act. A registered site is also considered for recognition on the National Register of Historic Places in Canada. Owners may benefit from the Township’s Heritage Building Incentive Grant Program, which helps fund the restoration, repair, and maintenance of heritage buildings.
In 2010, the Township started a program to officially recognize those who make a commitment to the community’s heritage by placing their properties on the Register.
Last year, Bouchard and Quadra were recognized for the re-adaptation of the Willoughby Methodist Church, which was converted into a residence. This year, Bouchard is being honored for registering and preserving the David Jones home and the Tom and Dorothy Campbell home, while building new homes around them in Willoughby.
The David Jones home was built in 1925 and is an example of the influence of the Craftsman style, which was popular during the early 20th Century. Jones was an active member of the community who served on Township Council in the late 1920s and was the community’s Justice of the Peace.
Built in the 1930s, the Campbell Residence represents the early development of the Willoughby neighbourhood during the interwar period. Tom and Dorothy operated a general store located right next to their home that contributed to the commercial and social development of the community.
Pepin is being presented with a plaque on behalf of the Langley Heritage Society, for the Dixon house and barn homestead located at 6120 Glover Rd. in Milner. Built between 1916 and 1918, this farmstead is still intact after nearly 100 years and is one of two surviving complete farmsteads on Glover Road to have retained its original barn. This landmark is located on a lot that was at one time a part of the 19th Century Hudson’s Bay Company Farm, and is now part of the Township’s parks system.
In 2008, the Langley Heritage Society started the vast task of restoring the farmstead. The house was completed in 2009 and repair of the barn is now underway, and is expected to be completed this summer.